By Michael Newman

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At the beginning of the year, it was expected that the 1A Boys State Championship would come down to the top two returnees from last year’s state race Wyatt McIntyre of Athens and Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington. Hall had the upper hand during the track season winning the 1A 3200 Meter Run and third in the 1600 Meter Run finishing ahead of McIntyre both times.

Both runners had great cross-country seasons. McIntyre won seven races during the season including running 14:40 to win the 1A Elmwood-Brimfield Sectional the week before the state meet. McIntyre finished third in September in the high-powered Palatine Invitational. Hall had a memorable season winning seven races with his only setback finishing second at the Richard Spring Invitational behind Sandburg’s Dylan Jacobs. Hall ran 14:24 to win the St. Joseph-Ogden Classic and set a course record in winning the 1A Shelbyville Regional.

The two future University of Illinois student/athletes faced each other one time before the state meet. Hall edged McIntyre by less than two seconds on less than optimal conditions at Detweiller Park in the Patriot Invitational.

Three weeks later at state. McIntyre and Hall pulled away from Francis Parker’s Jack MacNabola in the final 800-meters of the race. Instead of Hall pulling away down the final stretch, it was McIntyre that made the final move winning by five seconds.

The two won one race against each other during the regular season. It was McIntyre’s state win that made the difference.

“I thought if the first mile went out a little slow, I would have to push the second. Logan (Hall) covered that move and took the lead. I just stayed behind him,” McIntyre said. “I made a move by the finish line, then Jack did. The rest of the way was tactics just waiting for that final 300-meters.”

Congratulations to Wyatt McIntyre of Athens High School as the 2017 ILXCTF.com 1A Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year.